NG 587

New game 587 is now available.

The re-run is episode 315; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: T C A F L E U I K

I had FACT, TALC, FACET, FICKLE, TICKLE, TACKLE, and CATLIKE.

CATLIKE is the only seven, and the best to be done.

My selection: CATLIKE


Round 2: P F E E S I T A W

I had FEES, PISTE, and FIESTA.  A bit after time I saw the seven of PEEWITS.

PEEWITS is the only seven -- SEA WIFE is another name for a wrasse, but only as two words, not one.  However, there is an eight: SPAEWIFE ("(in Norse and Germanic mythology) a wise woman with powers to see into the future and to heal the sick").

My selection: FIESTA
Best: SPAEWIFE


Round 3: Target 164 from 100 1 1 3 7 9

This seemed pretty straightforward; I went with 164 = 100 + 9*7 + 1, but of course 164 = 100 + (7 + 1)*(9 - 1) is an alternative.

My selection: 164 = 100 + 9*7 + 1


Round 4: S G N R U I E H B

I had RUNGS, RUINS, INSURE, RUSHING, and BRUSHING.

The other eight is USHERING.  The other sevens are BUNGERS, BURNISH, HUNGERS, BUSHIER, GUSHIER, BINGERS (that's people who binge, not those who bing), BUNGIES (BUNGIE being another name for the silver fern), SUBERIN ("a substance contained in and characteristic of cork tissue"), BUSHING ("Electricity a lining for a hole through which conductors pass, intended to insulate them or protect them from abrasion"), and RUGBIES*.

My selection: BRUSHING


Round 5: A D O S M T C I H

I had SODA, COAST, DIATOMS, and STOMACH.

Seven is the limit on this mix; the others are MASTOID, ATOMICS / SOMATIC ("of the body; bodily; physical"), CHAMOIS, and DACOITS (DACOIT: "Indian English one of a band of armed thieves; bandit").

My selection: STOMACH


Round 6: Target 777 from 50 9 5 10 3 6

The offsets for the standard method are 23 or 27, and the latter is particularly attractive since 27 is 3*9.  The 750 is also easy enough to make, giving 777 = (10 + 5)*50 + 3*9.  Then I realised that I could tweak it to a shorter solution of 777 = (5*50 + 9)*3.  Looking at the factorisation, the target is obviously 7*111, and 111 is 3*37.  The 37 can be made without too much trouble, and it turned out that the other numbers could make the necessary 21, giving me 777 = (50 - 10 - 3)*(5*6 - 9).

My selection: 777 = (50 - 10 - 3)*(5*6 - 9)


Round 7: D M A D R N E I T

I had DRAM ("a small drink of liquor"), DEMAND, DRAINED, and TRAINED.  After time I noted ADMIRED as another seven.

Seven is the limit, with the others being MINARET / RAIMENT, DANDIER, READMIT, DETRAIN, MEDIANT, INARMED (INARM: "to hold in, or as in, the arms"), and NIDATED (NIDATE: "to implant in a uterus").

My selection: DRAINED


Round 8: Target 162 from 75 25 2 8 9 4

The target is 9*18, but I first went for the standard method with 162 = 2*75 + 8 + 4.  Then I went back to that factorisation idea with 162 = 2*9*(8 + 4 - 75/25).  Seen while writing this up is the simpler 162 = 9*(75/25)*(4 + 2).

My selection: 162 = 2*75 + 8 + 4


Round 9: LINE MOTEL

I don't have much useful to say about what guided me to the answer of EMOLLIENT ("having the power of softening or relaxing living tissues, as a medicinal substance; soothing, especially to the skin").

My selection: EMOLLIENT (6.2s)